


i will follow you into the dark.

by junfhongs



Category: Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Compliant, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Telepathic Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 17:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13792239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junfhongs/pseuds/junfhongs
Summary: Seongwoo thought nothing of the unassuming man standing in line beside him until their eyes met and they shook hands and Seongwoo felt like he was in another place, in another time, with someone who his entire world revolved around. He knew then that there was something tying him and Kim Jonghyun together, and though he didn't know exactly what it was, he knew it was something worth holding on to.





	i will follow you into the dark.

Seongwoo thought nothing of the unassuming man standing in line beside him until their eyes met and they shook hands and Seongwoo felt like he was in another place, in another time, with someone who his entire world revolved around. He knew then that there was something tying him and Kim Jonghyun together, and though he didn't know exactly what it was, he knew it was something worth holding on to.

"Hi," Seongwoo said as they settled on the floor while the other teams were being formed. He knew they should have been paying attention, that keeping up appearances and securing screen time while the cameras were rolling were supposed to be their top priorities. Seongwoo didn't need to be told twice; he was here to win, after all.

But something was itching at him, a curiosity that was more than simple interest or attraction. Was it even attraction? Not that Seongwoo was above that kind of thing, but… comparatively small and quiet Kim Jonghyun didn't seem like someone Seongwoo would go after.

"Hey," replied Jonghyun. His voice was raspy, slightly hoarse for reasons unknown. When Seongwoo looked into his eyes, he could see the sparkle in them. What was once bright and booming was now lost after years of disappointment. Seongwoo could relate, in the barest sense.

Seongwoo didn't know how to continue, didn't know what he was even planning on saying in the first place. Jonghyun was blinking at him, expecting something with kind eyes, but Seongwoo felt his throat close up. Kim Jonghyun, the only man who's ever made him this speechless within the first half hour of properly meeting each other; he deserved an award for that.

Jonghyun placed a hand on his clothed arm then, squeezing lightly when he realized that he didn't know Seongwoo well enough to gauge his reaction to touch. Seongwoo wasn't too fond of it, but he thought he might be more inclined to receiving touch when it came with Jonghyun's bright, gentle eyes and the soft awkwardness of his, "let's work hard together."

"Yeah," Seongwoo rasped out, then they both went back to reality, out of that strange bubble that Seongwoo knew he wasn't alone in. Jonghyun must have felt that, right?

_Right?_

 

 

———

 

 

When they got their song assignments—and the group finally finished snickering at Minhyun's pathetic attempt to run—they settled on the floor again and awkwardly stared at each other until the staff suggested that they start deciding on their roles. That then led to even more awkward silence and another mental hurdle that Seongwoo had to grapple over.

His eyes met Jonghyun's from across the circle. Seongwoo didn't know why he kept looking towards him, why there was something tugging at his chest, pulling him towards Jonghyun. Seongwoo didn't know why he felt like falling, head first into a mess or into victory with Jonghyun leading him to the light. He didn't know why he couldn't look away when Jonghyun was already able to break his gaze, why he could look at the profile of Jonghyun's face and think that he had already looked up to that sight before and would do it again, over and over again.

"I think a person that can lead well…" Seongwoo didn't know why he was stuttering, but it did manage to get everyone's attention. "It— it's Kim Jonghyun."

Jonghyun perked up, but not in a positive way. Seongwoo could feel the shock, feel the fear and embarrassment blooming from his chest, but those weren't _his_ feelings.

"I don't know why, but… I just feel that way." He wasn't lying; _those_ were his emotions. So where was this hesitation coming from? Why could he see it mirrored in Jonghyun's eyes?

There was a round of agreement and a helpless Jonghyun who had to accept, slowly but surely building up the confidence to look into Seongwoo's eyes and glare at him for a microsecond. _This is your fault,_ Seongwoo could clearly hear him say. Maybe in Seongwoo's imagination. Probably.

Seongwoo was the first to start making noise, trying to lighten the mood after the short display of vulnerability from Jonghyun. He couldn't help but feel safe as that sticker was tacked onto Jonghyun's sweater; this was _his leader,_ and Seongwoo didn't have enough time to dwell on that familiarity before they had to move on.

"We have to pick the center," said Jonghyun, taking the cues from the assistants so that they could move on to other groups. Jonghyun looked at Seongwoo then, and Seongwoo could hear Jonghyun's voice in his mind again. _'Do you want it?'_ Jonghyun asked. Seongwoo nodded briefly, and he smiled when Jonghyun chuckled in response.

They both stiffened as they realized what had just happened. Somehow, one way or another, Seongwoo's imagination was Jonghyun's intention. There was—yet again, _as always—_ no time to process this before Seongwoo's focus was taken by Hyunbin patting his arm and suggesting him and Daniel for the role.

Seongwoo looked at Daniel and tried to listen into his mind; maybe this was just a stupid superpower that Seongwoo managed to develop in a snap within this day. _Nothing crazy about that, right?_

He wasn't really able to convey anything other than, _"please let me be the center,"_ apparently because Daniel passed it onto him with no hesitation. Seongwoo didn't feel that connection with Daniel, which meant… _fuck._

"I think he'll fit the most with this song," said Jonghyun, causing the rest of the group to agree and to quietly pass the crown sticker to Hyunbin. This time, it was Jonghyun who started the noise, a little softer and probably off-key, but Seongwoo appreciated it nonetheless as he beamed with the sticker on his chest.

 _'Thank you,'_ Seongwoo thought as their eyes met. Jonghyun nodded, smiled, and moved on.

 

 

———

 

 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Seongwoo mumbled as he sat on the cover of the toilet seat and stared up at Jonghyun who was brushing his teeth in peace. The door of their tiny bathroom was closed, and the rest of the team was too busy settling down for the night to notice that there were two people in there. Seongwoo couldn't wait, couldn't let this strange connection rest until he figured out what the hell was happening between him and this person who he only started properly interacting with yesterday.

"What's there to talk about?" Jonghyun said. Seongwoo sighed. He expected this after overhearing Minhyun recalling his interview, talking about how Jonghyun wasn't the type to talk about his feelings so openly. These weren't feelings though; this was an unexplainable bond that was constantly fucking Seongwoo up when he was trying to _focus,_ damn it.

As they were practicing, Seongwoo felt hotter than usual. Every time Jonghyun turned his gaze on him, Seongwoo could feel it climbing up his back in a hot stripe that left him breathless and distracted. While Jonghyun was teaching Hyunbin, he could feel the frustration building up within him, as if he were the one who had to deal with Hyunbin's inexperience. It made him want to step forward and to tell Hyunbin to get his shit together, but Daniel held him back with a hand on his chest in warning, telling him that Jonghyun had it under control.

Seongwoo knew in the back of his head that he wasn't the only one feeling it though, and he certainly wasn't the only one whose focus drifted on someone else. He wasn't going to lie and pretend that he didn't like watching Jonghyun's sharp movements or his kind determination that took Seongwoo's breath away. He knew that Jonghyun must have heard him in his mind, heard the awe in his thoughts as he truly saw the leader in Jonghyun. He couldn't be the only one who thought that way, but he was the only one whose head Jonghyun could get into, for some strange reason.

So back to the real issue… "Come on, I _know_ you're curious about this weird ass telepathy thing that's happening to us."

"It's not telepathy; you can't blame me for knowing what you're thinking when you're telegraphing your thoughts so obviously even if you say you were trained in acting," Jonghyun said without even hesitating or taking a breath.

Seongwoo blinked at him. "Snarky. I didn't expect that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," said Jonghyun, and he tapped his temples with a finger before winking. "I'm going to bed."

Seongwoo chuckled, and he didn't even have to grab Jonghyun's wrist to stop him from leaving; Jonghyun _somehow_ knew that was his intention and looked back briefly at him. "I'll figure this out, with or without your help."

"If we actually do have a connection, I'll be there every step of the way, probably." Jonghyun smiled as he walked out, and Seongwoo could feel the warmth in his face even after Jonghyun left.

 _Huh._ That was a nice feeling— but if he was thinking that, did it mean Jonghyun could hear it too? So were none of his thoughts safe anymore? Was he going to have to live a celibate life so that Jonghyun wouldn't sense all that, or was there some sort of filter that could stop them from—

 _'Please shut up,'_ he heard Jonghyun say. _'You're worse than Minhyun when he won't stop talking before sleeping. Actually, I won't set up any expectations; I'll let you deal with it yourself.'_

Seongwoo laughed, and he was sure that the rest of them thought he was insane just by laughing all alone in the tiny ass bathroom of their dorm. When he ducked his head and grinned, he could almost feel Jonghyun on his bed in that same position too. _This is inconvenient, but nice,_ Seongwoo thought to himself. Maybe that distinction would prevent Jonghyun from hearing it. When he didn't receive anything in response, he knew he was right.

 

———

 

They were all in bed after an exhausting day of practice when Seongwoo figured out what Jonghyun was trying to say about Minhyun. "Shut _up,_ Minhyun," grumbled Seongwoo, and the rest of the room sleepily laughed along— except for Hyunbin, of course, who was dead asleep on the floor.

"Yeah, but do you remember little Woojin tripping on himself? That was so cute…" Minhyun kept going on, but Seongwoo tuned him out when he heard someone else's voice echoing in his head.

 _'So? Do you understand what I'm talking about now?'_ Jonghyun said, and Seongwoo audibly sighed in response. _'You've had two nights, and I've had seven years. Live with it.'_ Jonghyun was chuckling, and Seongwoo glared at him from across the room.

 _'Now that you're using this channel, let's talk,'_ said Seongwoo, and he could hear the groan, both through his sense of hearing and in his mind. _'Come on, indulge me.'_

 _'How the hell do I turn_ off _this damn channel then?'_ Jonghyun said, and Seongwoo sent a wave of mock-hurt that Jonghyun just laughed at. _'You admit it's inconvenient, right? How many times have you messed up your footwork today? I kept noticing it.'_

 _'Don't lie; just admit that you kept noticing_ me. _'_ Seongwoo licked his lips and turned to the side, waiting for Jonghyun to meet his eyes and to pick up the gauntlet he just dropped.

 _'No comment,'_ said Jonghyun, and Seongwoo saw his smirk in the darkness. _'Go to sleep, Seongwoo.'_

 

 

———

 

 

Seongwoo didn't dream often, and he certainly never dreamed vividly, but something felt painfully real when he opened his eyes to the hazy sight of the bottom of a worn-out bunk bed and Jonghyun sleeping by his side. He knew it was a dream since Jonghyun wasn't in his team anymore, and as much as he wanted to tap into their connection to make sure Jonghyun was doing alright, he didn't want to bother him. Seongwoo could be considerate!

But back to this strange, _strange,_ yet wonderful dream… Jonghyun hummed as he woke up, arm tightening over Seongwoo's waist. _"Good morning, commander,"_ Seongwoo heard himself say, teasing a sleepy smile from Jonghyun that he pressed against Seongwoo's shoulder.

 _"Don't call me that,"_ said Jonghyun.

 _"Accept my congratulations. It_ is _your new title,_ commander." In this weird dream, Seongwoo apparently still loved getting a rise from Jonghyun.

 _"Well,_ lieutenant _,"_ Jonghyun got up and hovered over Seongwoo, straddling his hips, _"I_ command _you to never call me that in bed."_

Seongwoo didn't know where the hell this came from, but he just went along with it as Jonghyun leaned down to press a filthy kiss against his lips, slick sounds ringing loud in Seongwoo's ear and causing a tingle to go down his chest and straight into his crotch. Apparently, Jonghyun knew exactly how to kiss him, how Seongwoo liked to pant in his partner's mouth and feel their hot breaths mingling before tangling his fingers in the other's hair to pull them down for another round. _God,_ Jonghyun was hot in real life, sure, but Seongwoo didn't think his subconscious would go this damn far.

When Jonghyun pulled away, they were suddenly on the soft bed of a hotel room, surrounded by the maps of their recent heist and piles upon piles of cash. Seongwoo didn't even care about that; all he could focus on was the feeling of slipping out of a tight warmth and the way Jonghyun bit his lip as he got up and straddled Seongwoo's hips again. _"Good job today,"_ said Jonghyun, smiling as Seongwoo pulled him closer.

 _"That was amazing,"_ Seongwoo mumbled into Jonghyun's neck, and he whined as Jonghyun pulled away from his warm embrace and got up.

Jonghyun offered him a hand. _"Come on, let's shower."_

 _"Do I_ have _to be a part of this?"_ Seongwoo teased, but he took Jonghyun's hand anyway and got up, quickly pressing himself against Jonghyun's back. _"Lead the way,"_ he said, and he allowed Jonghyun to pull him into the bathroom, turning on the light and—

Seongwoo gasped for air as he broke through the surface, shivering and blinking back all the water that almost got into his eyes because of Jonghyun's stupid decision to jump off a cliff and his own stupid devotion to that man. _"Jonghyun!"_ he yelled, and he was surprised to feel an arm circling around his waist and a hand covering his mouth from behind.

 _"Be quiet. We'll get caught,"_ whispered Jonghyun, but his voice was loud and clear in Seongwoo's ears despite the noisy waves.

 _"You're insane,"_ said Seongwoo, and he turned around to brush away the wet hair that stuck to Jonghyun's forehead. He kissed Jonghyun's forehead, his temples, his eyes, and his lips before pulling away and glaring at him. _"I can't believe you dragged me into this."_

 _"Correction: you_ let _yourself get dragged into this."_ Jonghyun held his hand from beneath the surface of the water. _"Do you trust me?"_

Seongwoo sighed. _"Unfortunately, yes."_ Jonghyun laughed before pulling Seongwoo down with him without warning, causing Seongwoo to panic as he quickly inhaled and opened his eyes to—

The dorm room. Their _real_ dorm room. Thin sheets, Daniel's snoring, familiar bearings, none of the soft haze that told Seongwoo this was anything other than his bland reality that didn't involve being able to dive off cliffs with Jonghyun or to kiss him— and it certainly didn't involve having sex with him, so…

 _Fuck._ What the hell was that dream?

 

 

———

 

 

Seongwoo did not know why—and really, most things in his life that involved Jonghyun were filled with confusion—but he was _so_ relieved to see Jonghyun walk into the room of his team. He was so relieved to see that gentle gaze that detracted from his subtle smirk and to hear that voice in his head saying, _'Oh. It's you.’_

Seongwoo chuckled. _'The one and only. Thought you'd be rid of me forever?'_

 _'I wasn't counting on it, no,'_ replied Jonghyun, and Seongwoo couldn't deny the small wave of heat that coursed through him as Jonghyun looked up at him. Seongwoo tried not to dwell on it so that Jonghyun wouldn't get a hint, but that dream was still fresh in his mind, _too fresh_ to be something as simple as an overactive imagination.

After all the drama and the pure joy at seeing Jonghyun on top of that pyramid, leading everyone and truly being the nation's leader for a brief moment, Seongwoo still couldn't get Jonghyun out of his mind. _'Focus,'_ said Jonghyun. _'We'll talk later if you want to, but we need practice. Now.'_

Seongwoo sighed and tried to get his shit together for the rest of the day. Still, his body was thrumming with energy as he sat in the stairwell and waited for Jonghyun to figure out where he was. He heard the door open from behind him and waited for Jonghyun to sit on the steps beside him. Both of them had a lot on their minds, and that stopped them from being able to read into each other's thoughts. Seongwoo thought that would be best; he didn't want Jonghyun to be one step ahead of him all the time.

"So? What's been bugging you?" started Jonghyun.

 _You,_ Seongwoo wanted to answer. "I… keep thinking about the future," he said instead, and he wasn't lying.

"That's terrifying," said Jonghyun, and Seongwoo laughed in agreement.

"You have no idea how happy I was to have you as my leader again." Seongwoo hated these talks, hated having to be so vulnerable, but he knew it had to be said. "I keep thinking about the future, and it's exciting and all, but…" He bit his lip. "I can't imagine it without you leading the way."

"Oh." Jonghyun was blushing, yeah, but Seongwoo felt a tinge of sadness in his eyes. He wanted to wipe it away.

"It's just— I just feel that way," said Seongwoo, eyes clear as he turned to face Jonghyun and really look into his eyes. _What was once bright and booming was now lost after years of disappointment._ Seongwoo wanted to hope again, wanted Jonghyun to dream with him.

"I think I've figured out something about this weird connection between us." Seongwoo didn't know why he suddenly jumped to this, but Jonghyun's silence at his previous attempt at conversation told him that the future was a sore spot for Jonghyun. Maybe he should have just focused on the present, and currently, he felt Jonghyun prying at his mess of a mind, not that he would be able to decode anything.

"Well?" Jonghyun said softly, and Seongwoo didn't realize that their faces were inching closer until he could feel Jonghyun's breath against his chin, and Jonghyun's eyes widened as Seongwoo's eyes darted down. Jonghyun placed a hand on Seongwoo's chest. "Wait—"

"Trust me?" Seongwoo whispered, and he could feel the panic and the _want_ burning him where that hand met his chest. Seongwoo reached up to cup Jonghyun's cheek then to slide his fingers into his hair and to hold the back of his head to pull him in for the quickest kiss, the barest press of their lips.

It was a taste, a test, a confirmation that, _yes,_ Jonghyun's lips were as soft in reality as they were in Seongwoo's dream. And that confirmation was enough for Seongwoo to know that his insane subconscious was _real,_ that pressing Jonghyun against him would bring back the perfect rhythm of their lips meeting and their bodies aligning and their breaths mixing as Seongwoo pulled away to breathe.

 _'I see it now,'_ Jonghyun said, and then it was his turn to curl his hand into Seongwoo's shirt to pull him in again, leading the way.

 _This_ was what Seongwoo was searching for all this time. _This,_ the feeling of Jonghyun holding him and pulling him and making him _fall,_ so freely and carelessly into an embrace that his soul absolutely yearned for— _this_ was perfection.

Years, decades, centuries— so many lifetimes had passed, and Seongwoo still trusted Jonghyun with everything he had. When they were in the military, when they were in a gang, when they were lost in the darkness, when they were just friends traversing something unknown and forbidden and so absolutely _perfect:_ Seongwoo only made it through because he knew Jonghyun would lead him to the right path, to happiness with him.

"My leader," mumbled Seongwoo when they finally recalled it all. How many times had they done this? How many lifetimes had passed already, and how come now Seongwoo couldn't imagine spending a single moment apart from Jonghyun?

"Always yours," said Jonghyun. Even if everything felt so sudden, nothing about it felt wrong.

Seongwoo smiled against Jonghyun's lips again. _'I'll follow you everywhere, Jonghyun. Over and over again, if I have to.'_

 

 

 

 

———

 

 

 

 

Jonghyun was settling into bed after a long day of interviews and photoshoots. Being busy was weird, but he was grateful. Tired, but always grateful. The past few weeks were insane. The damned show was over, and they accepted that they would lose Minhyun for a while.

He lost Seongwoo too, but he didn't really want to dwell on that. Not— not until he figured out what to do with whatever he felt for this Seongwoo now.

They had one moment before they had to part ways again. Before the music started, in the darkness and the deafening noise from the crowd, Seongwoo looked at him during the final concert and smiled. _'Let's work hard together,'_ he said in their minds, and Jonghyun didn't know how clear their connection was until he realized that Seongwoo's voice had pierced through everything else and left him breathless as the music started.

Jonghyun was alone in his room now. If he could still manage to tug at their connection, he knew Seongwoo would be busy with practice, busy with his future hinging on this debut. Seongwoo was excited for this, right? He deserved this more than anyone, but Jonghyun didn't know if he deserved that opportunity in this lifetime. Maybe his stint as Seongwoo's leader was only meant to last for that time. Maybe he didn't deserve to stand with Seongwoo this time.

Suddenly, in the silence of his loneliness, _'Hey.'_

Jonghyun blinked. _'What do you want?'_ he tried to say with as much heat as possible, but he knew that his telepathic voice was quivering the way his actual voice did.

_'I miss you.'_

Jonghyun laughed and bit back his tears. _'Yeah, yeah. Get back to practice, Seongwoo.'_ He felt Seongwoo smiling to himself, probably exhausted and leaning against the mirror as he usually did when they still practiced together.

 _'I'll see you soon,'_ said Jonghyun. Maybe not soon, maybe not as the leader that Seongwoo would follow into hell and back, but this lifetime was far from over. They'd get their chance eventually.

**Author's Note:**

> WOW this really came out of nowhere but i'm so so so happy to have watered the ongbugi tag  
> inspired by this cc prompt: "the reason why seongwoo said that “i felt like the one who can lead us well is jonghyun” was because they met in their past life and they were teammates turned lover. He forgot all about it until he saw jonghyun’s face." & by [this cc ask](https://curiouscat.me/junfhongs/post/304715225)  
> (this is the power of prompting me on cc yall. ... pls encourage this pain)
> 
> title from Death Cab for Cutie — I Will Follow You into the Dark
> 
> follow me on [twitter (@amenochieien)](https://twitter.com/amenochieien) or talk to me on [curiouscat (/junfhongs)](https://curiouscat.me/junfhongs)!!


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